Sprouted Spelt Sourdough Boule #BreadBakers

Crunchy on the outside but tender on the inside, this sprouted spelt sourdough boule is a toothsome loaf full of flavor from both the spelt and sourdough starter.

A fortuitous measuring mistake led to the baking of this lovely loaf! I was in the kitchen making sprouted spelt everything crackers and right off the bat, I added FULLY DOUBLE the amount of water to the spelt flour than I was supposed. Why? I cannot tell you except that I was a bit distracted, never a good thing when baking. 

So I set that bowl aside and started afresh on the cracker recipe which turned out very tasty, by the way.

I do hate to waste ingredients though so when the enormous cracker was in the oven, I decided to adapt my sprouted spelt boule recipe to make a sourdough loaf. I gotta tell you, it was an excellent decision. We loved this bread! 

Since the flour and water had already had about 35 minutes mixed together, I went with the flow and said to myself, okay, we are starting with an autolyze. An autolyze is when you hydrate the flour ahead of adding the rising agent which allows gluten to begin forming, and creates a smoother, more extensible dough, often reducing the need for extensive kneading.

Then I added in the sourdough starter and left the mixture an additional half hour or so (a step sometimes called fermentolyse, differing from autolyze by the addition of the rising agent, either sourdough starter or yeast) before continuing to mix in the rest of the ingredients. Worry not, full instructions follow below.

Good save, right? Waste not, want not.

Sprouted Spelt Sourdough Boule

If you can’t find sprouted spelt flour, Google offered the following suggestion: “The best substitute for sprouted spelt flour is sprouted whole wheat flour, as it offers a similar nutritional profile, nutty flavor, and baking consistency.” If you can find it, I have at least six other recipes here to use it, from sourdough blini to sweet muffins to artisan yeast bread.

 

Ingredients

1 cup or 240ml warm water

1 1/2 cups or 180g sprouted spelt flour

1 cup or 250g sourdough starter

1 1/2 cups or 188g bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Before baking:

Sprinkle of rice flour - optional

 

Essential equipment:

5.5 qt or 5.3L Dutch oven with ovenproof lid or a bread cloche

Lame, razor or very sharp knife for scoring

 

Method

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the water and spelt flour. Mix well. Cover with cling film or a shower cap and set aside for about 45 minutes. 

Add in the sourdough starter and mix again to combine. Cover with cling film or a shower cap and set aside for another 45 minutes. 

Add in the bread flour and salt. Mix well. 

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl, making sure all the flour has been incorporated.

Knead until the dough is springy and formed a good ball. I use my stand mixer for this because I am a wimp. 

Cover the bowl with cling film or a damp teacloth. Let sit at room temperature for 8-12 hours. 

The longer the better, in my opinion. You can also pop the covered bowl in the refrigerator overnight, after the rise at room temperature.

If you have refrigerated your dough, remove it from the refrigerator and leave to come to room temperature before continuing. 

Once the dough is room temperature and ready to bake, prepare a greased square of baking parchment on a plate. Make the dough into a tight ball and transfer it to the parchment. The parchment isn’t strictly necessary but it will make transferring the risen dough to the Dutch oven easier later.

Cover with a loose towel or oiled cling film and let rise for 1 hour. 

 

When your dough has almost doubled in size, preheat oven to 450°F or 232°C WITH THE COVERED DUTCH OVEN or BREAD CLOCHE INSIDE. 

I have a new toy which is a LeCreuset bread cloche. I had only used it before this from a cold start so I was crossing my fingers it would work for this as well! (Reader, as you can see, it did!) 

 

Once the Dutch oven or cloche is fully heated and the dough is done rising, hold the edges of the parchment paper and carefully place the loaf inside. 

Cut a few slashes in the dough to allow it to rise further as it bakes and to give it a decorative finish. I like to sprinkle the top with rice flour first to give it definition but that’s not necessary. It just looks prettier once baked.

Depending on your oven, let the bread bake with the lid ON for about 20-25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. If you are a thermometer-using baker, fully baked, the boule should have an internal temperature of about 190°F or 88°C.

Remove the boule from the oven.

Let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Waiting is the most challenging part of the recipe! It smells sooooooo good. 

Slice to serve. This boule is great as is OR toasted. A smear of butter never goes amiss.

Enjoy!

It’s the second Tuesday of the month so that means it’s time for my fellow Bread Bakers and I to share our bakes. Our theme is sourdough. Many thanks to our host, Sneha of Sneha’s Recipe. Check out the links below. 

• Overnight Sourdough Sandwich Bread from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Small Sourdough Bread from Sneha’s Recipe
• Sourdough Oat Waffles from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sprouted Spelt Sourdough Boule from Food Lust People Love
• Sweet Potato Sourdough from A Messy Kitchen

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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Artisan Sprouted Spelt Boule #BreadBakers

Hearty and flavorful, this artisan sprouted spelt boule bakes up with a crunchy crust and an airy yet chewy crumb. It is very forgiving if you like making dough ahead (which adds so much character and taste!) and baking another day.

One of my favorite things about belonging to food blogger groups is learning about new ingredients or techniques. This month Bread Bakers’ host is Sue of Palatable Pastime and she chose sprouted flour as our theme.

I had never heard of sprouted flour but Sue provided a couple of links to clarify. Apparently sprouted flour is made by allowing grains to germinate aka sprout. The results are then dried and ground into flour. The thought is that sprouted flours are more nutritious, because, according to the Penn State Extension website: “Carbohydrates are converted into simple sugars, proteins are broken down into amino acids, and fats are broken into the component fatty acids. These conversions make the food easier for the plant and humans to digest.”

That said, more study is needed to determine if it’s healthier or actually more digestible than regular flour. What I can tell you is that the sprouted spelt makes a lovely nutty tasting loaf and I am looking forward to using it again in other baked goods. Not only that but the folks at The Kitchn agree with me! You can learn more about sprouted flours there as well.

Artisan Sprouted Spelt Boule

My recipe is adapted from one of the One Degree Organics website, which was also the brand of sprouted spelt flour I used. My first attempt was completely flat and clearly had too much liquid. Rather than dialing back on the water for the second go, I decided to add more sprouted flour. Take two resulted in a wet sticky dough that could hold its shape a bit better when kneaded for a bit after the first rise. The original recipe could work better for a focaccia rather than a boule.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups or 355ml warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3 cups or 360g sprouted spelt flour
1 cup or 125g bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Essential equipment:
5.5 qt or 5.3L Dutch oven with ovenproof lid
Dough scraper

Method
Stir the sugar into the water to dissolve it, then sprinkle the yeast in as well. It’ll just float on the top but that’s fine. Set aside for five or so minutes. The yeast should start getting foamy, which means it has been activated and is alive.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the flours and salt. When the yeast has proved, pour the mixture into the flour bowl and mix well.

It’s going to be quite a soft dough. Just make sure everything is completely blended. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl, making sure all the flour has been incorporated.

Cover the bowl with cling film or a damp teacloth. Let sit at room temperature for 8-12 hours. The longer the better, in my opinion. You can also pop the covered bowl in the refrigerator overnight, after the room temperature rise.

After the first rising time has elapsed, gently fold the dough over on itself in the bowl with a spatula and tip it out onto a well-floured work surface. Knead for several minutes, until the dough isn’t quite as sticky and you can form it, with the help of a dough scraper, into a ball.

Prepare a greased square of baking parchment on plate and transfer the ball onto it. The parchment isn’t strictly necessary but it will make transferring the risen dough to the Dutch oven easier later.

Cover with a loose towel or oiled cling film and let rise for 1-2 hours. If it’s cold at your house, like it is at mine right now, follow these instructions for proofing in the microwave. Because the rising environment is humid, you don’t have to cover the dough. Works a treat!

When your dough has almost doubled in size, preheat oven to 500°F or 260°C WITH THE COVERED DUTCH OVEN INSIDE.

It's such a soft dough that it spreads out as much as it does up!

Once the Dutch oven is fully heated and the dough is done rising, hold the edges of the parchment paper and carefully place the loaf inside. Cut a few slashes in the dough to allow it to rise further as it bakes and to give it a decorative finish. (I really need a sharper knife. My bread lame has gone missing in the move.)

Depending on your oven, let the bread bake with the lid of the Dutch oven ON for about 20-25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. If you are a thermometer-using baker, fully baked, the boule should have an internal temperature of about 190°F or 88°C.

Remove the boule from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Enjoy!

Check all of the other sprouted flour recipes my Bread Baker friends are sharing today! Many thanks to Sue of Palatable Pastime for hosting!

• Artisan Sprouted Spelt Boule from Food Lust People Love
• Seeded Sprouted Wheat Loaf from A Messy Kitchen
• Sprouted Wheat Flour No Knead Bread from Cook with Renu
• Sprouted Wheat Green Chile Pretzel Braid from Amandie Bakes
• Sprouted Wheat Pain de Mie Sandwich Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Sprouted Wheat Waffles from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sprouted Whole Wheat Flour Mini Rolls from Sneha's Recipe

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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Sprouted Spelt Date Muffins #MuffinMonday

Sprouted spelt date muffins pair the nuttiness of spelt with the natural sweetness of dates. These are the perfect breakfast or snack any time of the day.

If you saw the yeasted round loaf I baked with sprouted spelt a couple of weeks back, you already know that it was a new ingredient for me. What I didn’t tell you was how hard it was to find here in the fourth most populous city of the United States. I assumed it would be easy.

Houston has become well-known lately as a foodie destination. Don’t believe me? Check out this article on GQ, for one. And David Chang called it no less than his favorite food city on his Netflix show Ugly Delicious. From the specialty stores that carry imported ingredients from Asia, the Middle East, and both Eastern and Western Europe, not to mention the many grocery store chains vying for my food dollar, I thought I could get anything here.

Turns out that sprouted flours are easy to find online, not so easy to buy in a Houston shop. I finally found a five-pound bag in Sprouts. Five pounds! Fortunately, we love the bread it makes. Expect to find more sprouted spelt recipes in the coming months. Meanwhile, start with something easy, like muffins.

Sprouted Spelt Date Muffins

I adapted this recipe from one on the King Arthur website. The weight they list for 2 1/4 cups of flour did not reflect my own measurements, which you will find below. I really cannot explain the discrepancy but I can tell you that I weighed my sprouted spelt and that exactly how much I used to make these muffins.

Ingredients
1/2 cup, firmly packed, or 113g stoned dates
2 cups or 240g sprouted spelt flour
1/4 cup or 50g brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup or 240ml milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup or 60ml canola or other light oil

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin, or line it with paper or silicone baking cups.

Chop the dates roughly and set aside some pieces for adding to the top of the muffins.

Whisk all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl then add in the dates.

Stir well and use your fingers separate the sticky date pieces until they are all well coated with flour.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and oil.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones until they are just combined. Do not over mix.

Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full. Top with the reserved chopped dates.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Cool in the pan for a few minutes then remove the muffins and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Check out the first lovely muffins of 2020 my Muffin Monday friends are sharing today!

• Bakery Style Double Chocolate Muffins from Making Miracles
• Cherry Chip Muffins from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Cinnamon Sugar Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Jelly Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Macaroon Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Sprouted Spelt Date Muffins from Food Lust People Love

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

Pin these sprouted spelt date muffins! 

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Sprouted Spelt Everything Bagel Crackers

Crunchy, flavorful and more-ish, these sprouted spelt everything bagel crackers are a lovely snack on their own or served with a spread or dip. 

I usually try to bake or cook well ahead of the publish date for Sunday FunDay posts because the hosts plan the theme months in advance. This week, it didn’t happen because I misread the theme! 

“Make a recipe using sprouts,” the title said. Sooooo, I duly bought some Brussels sprouts and got busy. Then just a couple of days ago, I read the whole description which was “Using sprouted grains / legumes.” Oh, no! Back to the drawing board. Fortunately, I already own sprouted spelt flour. 

After the debacle that was trying to get the big cracker off the pan once baked, I wasn’t sure I was even going to share this recipe. But I put the plate between my husband and me on the sofa yesterday and before I knew it, the plate was almost empty! These crackers are good, y’all. Follow my updated method and you’ll love them too! 

Sprouted Spelt Everything Bagel Crackers

This recipe was adapted from one in the New York Times magazine from way back in 2008. That recipe itself was adapted from one created by Eli Winograd at Hungry Ghost Bread in Northampton, MA.

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup or 120ml cold water

1 1/2 cups or 180g sprouted spelt flour

Generous sprinkling everything bagel seasoning mix

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. 

In the measuring cup, dissolve the salt in the cold water. Add the water to the spelt flour and stir until combined. 

Knead the dough a few turns until a ball forms.

The original instructions said to flour an overturned 12-by-17-inch cookie sheet and use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough on top of it - using as much flour as needed to prevent sticking - until the dough covers the sheet from edge to edge. Which is what I did. (See below.) I am here to tell you that this is NOT A GOOD PLAN.

Never mind my photo. Here is what you REALLY NEED to do: Roll this dough out on a piece of nonstick baking parchment or a silicone pan liner. Otherwise, as I mentioned, the dough will stick to your pan and you will struggle to release the middle bits once it is baked. 

Using a spray bottle filled with water, spray the rolled dough to give it a glossy finish. If you want neater crackers, you can also score the dough into grids. Otherwise, we are just going to break this sucker apart into chaotic shards once crispy. 

Sprinkle with an elegant sufficiency of everything bagel seasoning mix. Some people prefer more, some less. For once, I won’t tell you how to live your life. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the big cracker is crisp and golden and snaps apart, 20 to 25 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through. Check frequently to make sure it doesn’t overcook and burn. Ovens heat unevenly and these crackers are thin! 

Since you did the right thing and rolled the dough out onto a nonstick sheet of baking parchment or a silicone pan liner, the only thing left is to break into pieces and serve. I promise, the crackers will disappear in no time.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes using sprouted grains or legumes. Many thanks to our host, Sneha of Sneha’s Recipe. Check out the links below. 

• Stir-fried Cilantro with Bean Sprouts and Shrimp from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Egg Foo Young from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sprouted Moong Salad from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Sprouted Oat Blender Waffles from A Messy Kitchen
• Sprouted Spelt Everything Bagel Crackers from Food Lust People Love
• Sprouted Vaalachi Bhaji With Fresh Coconut from Sneha’s Recipe
• Vegetarian Ramen Bowls from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Sweet Potato Sprouted Spelt Muffins #MuffinMonday

Sweet potato sprouted spelt muffins are made with brown sugar and lots of sweet golden raisins. They make a delicious tea time snack or tasty breakfast. Like most muffins, they freeze well and can be thawed and ready to eat with a quick zap in the microwave.

It’s Muffin Monday again, folks, the last Monday of every month when I share my own muffin recipe and several delectable others from my Muffin Monday group friends.

As I imagine you all are, right round the world, we are baking with what’s left in our kitchens. I could easily have called these sprouted sweet potato muffins because my taters are seriously sending out shoots. The one I used here had tiny sprouts that I trimmed off but another one is a candidate for cutting up and planting. If only I had good soil!

If you don’t have a sweet potato, substitute carrots in the same approximate amount.

Sweet Potato Sprouted Spelt Muffins

My sweet potato was about 9 1/3 oz or 265g in weight before peeling and cutting off the rough ends. If yours is a little bigger or smaller, no worries.

Ingredients
1 large sweet potato
2 cups or 240g sprouted spelt flour
3/4 cup, firmly packed, or 150g light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
1 cup or 240ml milk (I use 2% fat)
1 cup or 150g golden raisins, optional

Method
Peel your sweet potato and cut it into chunks. Discard the fibrous ends. Boil until tender.

Put the golden raisins in a heatproof bowl.

When you drain the hot water off of the sweet potato chunks, pour it into the bowl with the raisins. Leave them to plump up then drain when the water is cool.

Mash the sweet potato with a fork or potato masher until fairly smooth. Set aside to cool.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by greasing it or lining it with paper muffin cups.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your sprouted spelt flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs, cooled mashed sweet potato, oil and milk.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined.

Fold in the golden raisins.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups in your prepared pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from the oven leave to cool for a few minutes in the pan. Remove from the pan and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Check out all the other lovely muffins we are sharing today!

• Celebratory Gluten-Free Strawberry Muffins from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chocolate Coconut Banana Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chocolate Mocha Muffins from Making Miracles
• Coffee Cake Muffins from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Cornbread Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Sweet Potato Sprouted Spelt Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Toffee Mocha Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Tomato Basil Muffins from Palatable Pastime 
• Wild Violet Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page<

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